Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro turned down an extension offer from the team prior to the 2014 season and is not currently engaged in extension talks with the team at the moment, as Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reported on Tuesday night. According to a source close to the situation, the offer would have covered Castro's last two seasons of arbitration (2015-16) while including two club options for his first two free-agent seasons.
Jason Castro turned down extension offer from Astros before 2014
The deal would have covered Castro’s final two years of arbitration, with club options covering his first two years of free agency.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Though the exact offer is unknown, sources indicate that the Astros’ offer was worth around $10 million in guaranteed money over his final two arbitration years, with two club options for 2017 and 2018 that would have been worth around $15 million combined. The deal was offered after the sides agreed to a $2.45 million salary for 2014, and Castro declined due to where he already was in the arbitration system.
Sources indicate that Castro is open to extension talks and would love to stay in Houston on a long-term basis, but the offer last season seemed to be low for a solid catcher who was coming off an All-Star campaign in which he hit .276/.350/.485 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI in 120 games. Castro hit .222/.286/.366 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI in 126 games in 2014, his third season as the Astros’ primary catcher.
The Astros now have four catchers on the 40-man roster, with Castro, Carlos Corporan and newcomer Hank Conger all with major league experience, meaning that they are likely to explore trades involving the trio. Industry speculation is that the White Sox, Rangers and Pirates could look to acquire Castro in a trade with Houston.
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